Internship Q&A

I’m trying to find a business internship, but I don’t know which companies offer them.
How do I track down this information?

Answer:
Internships are an essential ingredient to career success. However, sometimes the difficult
part is finding the internship you want. Try these steps:

Make a trip to the college career center. A counselor can guide you toward the best
field for an internship, your geographic options, and the time of year that best fits your
schedule.

Go online. In addition to college databases, sites such as MonsterCollege.com lets
browsers search by company, region, and field.

Check with alumni. Many alumni are happy to sit down with aspiring interns for
informational interviews about the company they work for.

On-campus recruiting. Many national organizations, such as INROADS
(www.inroads.org) and the Washington Center (www.twc.edu) probably visit your
campus frequently. Check out your career center for info and dates.

The direct approach. If you’re interested in a particular field and know of a particular
company you’d like to work for, contact the company’s human resources or personnel
department. The staff should be able to inform you of any internship opportunities.

I’ve submitted several resumes for internships this summer and haven’t even received a
phone call for an interview. It’s frustrating because I earn good grades and have had
previous employment experience. Should I call the companies and ask about an
interview? Any information you could give me is really appreciated.

Answer:
Definitely follow up with a phone call to each company/organization you’ve applied to.
At a minimum, you’ll show that you have good follow-through skills and that you’re self-
motivated. Just be polite and courteous when you call, then see what emerges from there.

Keep in mind, too, that if a company doesn’t respond to you as quickly as you’d like, it
may have nothing to do with you and/or your qualifications. Instead, it may simply be
that the person you sent your stuff to is running a bit behind.